The Government seizes more than 430 tons of beef and donates it to community kitchens

The government has seized 430 tons of frozen beef with a value exceeding $2 million from a suspicious company. The confiscated meat will be donated to community kitchens as part of a joint operation between Customs, led by William Michel, and the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (SAGyP), headed by Juan Jose Bahillo.

According to official reports, there are 18,050 boxes weighing 25 kilos each, which amounts to approximately 2.1 million servings.

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The merchandise, with the endorsement of Senasa, will be delivered to Cáritas and later distributed to community kitchens serving vulnerable families.

This seizure marks the largest operation conducted by SAGyP in collaboration with Customs. The aim of this measure, according to both organizations, is to create a perception of risk against financial speculation and dishonest commercial practices.

The agencies seized the more than 18,000 boxes of meat as the exporting company failed to provide proper traceability information for the merchandise.

Furthermore, the company also failed to settle its foreign currency transactions.

The sanitary condition of the merchandise was verified by the authorized veterinary inspection service. The operation involved the Directorate of Agricultural Registration and Registration, the Directorate of Agricultural Commercial Inspection, both from the National Directorate of Agricultural Commercial Control (DNCCA), and Senasa, with the collaboration of Customs and AFIP to ensure proper procedures.

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William Michel, the Director General of Customs, stated, “We aim to discourage such maneuvers and ensure that dollars are directed towards Argentine production and employment, rather than financial speculation.”

Regarding the incident, Bahillo stated, “This is the largest seizure in recent memory, with 18,050 boxes weighing 25 kg each, equivalent to 2.1 million rations. It should be noted that the irregularities in the merchandise are related to commercial inconsistencies, but in terms of hygiene, the meat is completely safe for consumption.”